This'll be a nice and slow paced introduction to topological quantum field theory in general, and 1-2-3 dimensional theories in particular. If time permits I will explain the spin version of these and their connection to physics. There will be lots of pictures.
Congratulations to Dr Catherine Wilkins from Oxford Mathematics who has won a MPLS (Mathematical Physical and Life Sciences Division) award for teaching excellence. Oxford Teaching Awards are given either to individuals or to teams as a public acknowledgement of excellence in teaching and learning.
Patrick Farrell, Early Career Research Fellow in Applied Mathematics in Oxford, together with colleagues from the Simula Research Laboratory and Imperial College London, has won this year's 2015 Wilkinson Prize.
I will report on recent progress towards understanding the growth of the torsion of the homology of subgroups of finite index in a given residually finite group G.
The cases I will consider are when G is amenable (joint work with P, Kropholler and A. Kar) and when G is right angled (joint work with M. Abert and T. Gelander).
